Getting to know... Natalie Costa, Creator of Power Thoughts

Natalie Costa (@powerthoughtsnc on Instagram / powerthoughts.co.uk) Power Thoughts is a teaching, coaching and mindfulness based service which is aimed at empowering children to tap into the ‘power’ of their minds.  Children are taught how to become confident, resilient and robust, developing a ‘can-do’ attitude that allows them to flourish both in and out of the classroom setting. 

What’s your background and where did the idea for Power Thoughts come from?

I’m a former primary school teacher (I taught in the UK and abroad for 12 years) and I also have a background in psychology.

Around 5 years ago I was starting to explore alternative careers opportunities and ‘life coaching’ was starting to become quite a big thing. I ended up training as a coach, with the intention of helping women make career changes, however I was still teaching during the day and so I started to apply some of the tools I was using with my adult clients, with the children at school - and that’s where the idea of Power Thoughts was born. I realised that whilst we spend time teaching children how to think and problem solve, not a lot of time is spent teaching children about their brain, their thoughts and how this impacts their choices and behaviours. I wanted to create a programme that helped children learn about their mindset from a younger age so that they’re able to start applying positive habits from a younger age. 

How does the programme work?

I work in a variety of different ways. I deliver workshops within schools which can either be whole school workshops from Reception to Year 6, or some schools prefer me to focus on a particular year group. Theme and topics range from ‘How to Manage Big Feelings’, ‘Confident Me’ and ‘Mistakes are Cool’ etc. 

I also work with children and families on a private basis - and here we go through my entire programme which ranges from 4 - 8 sessions. I believe it’s really important to not only work with children, but with teachers and families too - so I’ll also  deliver an overview to parents after my session with their child. In addition to this I also deliver staff overview sessions and parent talks too, whether that is after school or within the corporate sector (my private sessions are also reordered so parents have the opportunity to always refer back to our sessions and the tools that were taught - so it’s kinda like you have Natalie and the sessions at your disposal whenever you like!) 

What do you enjoy most about your work?

I absolutely love seeing how children progress and I love hearing how they apply the tools we explore. Whether that is that they become less afraid of making mistakes, learning how to manage their big feelings or having the confidence to try something new - I LOVE seeing them grow. Parents will email me months afterwards sharing their stories of how their children are still using the tools and the impact that this continues to have on themselves and also how it impacts the rest of the family too. I grew up as a vey anxious little girl and I so wish that I had these tools to help me - to know that I didn’t have to believe every thought I was thinking and that I could choose to tell myself a different story instead! 

Has a child ever said something to you which has really ‘stuck’?

A child recently said to me “I’ve learned to take on the challenges, instead of being scared about a test I can see it as a challenge and it’s making my neurons in my brain grow!”

What are you reading at the moment?

I’m currently reading Marie Forleo’s book - Everything is figureoutable. I LOVE it! 

Tell us about the books you have written!

I have co-written two books called Find your Power and Stretch your Confidence  - these are a series of books designed to help children aged 6-9 learn about their mental health in a positive framework, with no blame or shame. The books focus on empowering children to tap into the power of their minds and promote healthy self-esteem as well as teaching them tools and strategies to build their ‘confidence muscle’  when it comes to friendship wobbles, embracing mistakes and coping with change. (They are just as helpful for us adults too!).

What are your top tips for parents to support their children through the tricky times in their lives?

Listen to your child. So often they just want to be heard, so taking the time to connect to their feelings and saying things like, “I can see that this is really hard for your and I’m right here with you” can go a long way. 

Breathing is key and doing simple deep belly breathing activities helps to lower the stress response and keeps the rational part of the brain switched on. This can be done through blowing bubbles, using a meditation app, or even just sitting still with their hand on their tummy and focusing on their breathing. 

Talk about what the concern is - I encourage children to do a ‘brain splurge’ - to get out all of their thoughts onto paper. So often we are caught up with all of the thoughts and we can’t think clearly, so getting it onto paper really helps. 

Consider the ‘circle of control’ what is within my control and what is not within my control. Again writing this down really helps as children are able to separate their thoughts and so focus on what they can control. 

Think back to challenging times you have faced before. What did you learn from them and how did they help you grow? So often we forget about the tricky times we have faced before. Helping children to explore their previous challenges (and even create a visual collage of this) helps them to note their strengths and that they can use them again to move forward.  

How can people get in touch if they want to book a session with you?

People can email me coaching@nataliecosta.co.uk or the can contact me via my website www.powerthoughts.co.uk :) 

Follow Natalie on Social Media – her posts are often responsible for making us think and seeing things in a different way!

 Instagram - @Powerthoughtsnc

 Facebook - Power Thoughts by Natalie Costa

 LinkedIn – Natalie Costa

Don’t forget that we offer parent consultations should you need support with anything from sleep to behaviour and so much more! Details of the packages we offer can be found here.

We also have a podcast - ‘Newborn to Teen and Everything in Between’ - listen here.

This blog contains affiliate links.